Canada supreme court dismisses hemophiliac AIDS case

The supreme court of Canada last week upheld the dismissal of a lawsuit filed by several HIV-positive hemophiliacs in the country who claimed that HIV-tainted blood products gave them AIDS, The Toronto Star reports. The court issued no comment on its ruling to let a lower court's dismissal of the case stand. The lawsuit was filed against the Canadian Red Cross Society and claimed that the organization, which was responsible for maintaining the safety of Canada's blood supply, did not properly screen blood products for HIV. Three plaintiffs, two of whom died of AIDS-related complications in 1995, claim they were infected in 1985 with tainted blood supplies that hadn't been checked for HIV despite the availability of blood-screening technologies.

The Red Cross is now considering pursuing action against the plaintiffs to recover legal and court costs involved with the case, which have exceeded $1 million. A court hearing regarding the legal fees is scheduled for October 15.